1 PAUL, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God's chosen, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness;
2 upon hope of eternal life, which God, who can not lie, promised before eternal ages,
3 but in its own times manifested his word in the preaching, with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of our Savior God;
4 to Titus, a true child according to the common faith: Grace, mercy, peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.
Ordain Elders in Every City
5 For this cause I left thee behind in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and appoint elders in each city, as I directed thee;
6 if any one is without reproach, the husband of one wife, having believing children not accused of rioting or unruly.
7 For the overseer must be, without reproach, as God's steward; not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy of gain;
8 but hospitable, a lover of the good, discreet, just, holy, temperate;
9 holding fast the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able with the sound teaching both to exhort, and to refute the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly vain talkers and deceivers, chiefly they of the circumcision;
11 whose mouths must be stopped, who overturn whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of base gain.
12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said: Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.
13 This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, who turn away from the truth.
15 To the pure all things are pure; but to the defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and conscience are defiled.
16 They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and for every good work reprobate.